SPEAKOUT

Huckstep recognition is appreciated

I WANT to congratulate and compliment you on your pictorial memorial and tremendous write-up on Gene Huckstep. We've never had one like him. We'll never have another one like him, and I'm just very proud the Southeast Missourian recognized his efforts and his achievements. You did a wonderful job. You are to be highly commended for it.

Better TV coverage warranted

IT'S AMAZING how the media in this area is treating Gene Huckstep in remembering him. The Southeast Missourian gave him almost two full pages. You're to be highly congratulated for that. The local TV station gave about 40 seconds and just touched on the high points. No mention the next day. Apparently, they didn't care about him. Doesn't Gene Huckstep deserve more than that?

Former entertainer remembers Sinatra

WE ARE all so grieved over the loss of Frank Sinatra. All day long, I've cried off and on, and I've heard Frank Sinatra, whom I never met but I had the utmost admiration for as an entertainer. We've heard him sing "My Way" and all of those famous songs. But we've never heard one word about the people who wrote those songs. If I'm not mistaken, Paul Anka wrote "My Way" for Frank Sinatra. Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart and Johnny Mercer wrote the songs that Frank Sinatra sang, and so many other people. To my knowledge, Frank Sinatra wrote one song. It was one I used to sing when I was an entertainer in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, a singer until I lost my voice. It might have been "This Love of Mine Goes On and On." It was a great song, a beautiful song. I don't know where it went on the charts, but I used to sing that in the middle 1950s. I remember it very well. "This Love of Mine" is the only song that Frank Sinatra wrote.

Red Star area needs to be cleaned up

I THOUGHT that the residents and the City Council were not going to allow an RV park in the north part of Cape where it's a flood zone and they tore the houses out. It looks like it already has. We've got a motor home and boat sitting on a private lot. I'd like to know what it takes to get this neighborhood cleaned up. The City Council won't do anything. The police don't do anything. It's just run over with junk in this neighborhood, and nobody seems to care.

Take complaint to the federal level

THIS IS to the person who keeps calling about the Spice Channel on TCI's digital programming. You need to understand that the person you should complain to is not the City Council, not even TCI, in the direct sense, but rather your local congressperson. The reason I say that is the federal government has established guidelines that say local municipalities may not tell the franchisee what they can or cannot carry except for the fact they must carry the local programming like KFVS and so forth. If you don't like it, you can make an impact with the programmer by not buying the Spice Channel and let the market tell the story. But it's not fair to the city to blame it for something it has no control over.

Most of us have broken some laws

I'M CONCERNED about the recent caller critical of attorney David Rosener as a officer of the court choosing to obey only the laws that he chooses to obey. I'm curious if that caller perhaps has ever exceeded the speed limit or ever rolled through a stop sign. Maybe that caller himself chooses to obey only the laws that he desires. In no way am I endorsing legalization of these drugs, but I think we had better look in the mirror before we start heaving those stones around.

Make stiff penalties for gun violations

NOW THAT it appears that state Sen. Peter Kinder has got what he wants -- to have everyone running around with guns -- I think it's about time we add a couple of things to the law. I think we should have, like California, the 10-20-life deal where they get 10 years automatic if they're caring a gun and committing a crime, 20 years if they shoot the gun and life if they hit somebody. I also think they should give anybody who is arrested for drunken driving two years in the penitentiary if there's a gun in the car and five years in the penitentiary if the gun is on the man's person. I think also, anybody who is carrying drugs should have penalties of the same sort.

Keep unsafe drivers off the road

I WOULD like to make a comment about elderly and unsafe drivers. I feel like insurance companies, license bureaus and family members should take more responsibility in keeping their unsafe family members off the road. There are too many folks who should have a driver's test again when they renew their license, when they get older, take a lot of medications and they're unsafe. I just feel like families and insurance companies should take more responsibility keeping unsafe drivers off the road.

City crews put grass in street

THE CITY crew cutting high grass along Lexington Street threw the high grass about 10 feet into Lexington Avenue, and they want the citizens along the other streets in town not to do that. Where's the police? They ought to check on that.

Fine those trashy neighbors

IT'S A shame all neighborhoods can't be as nice described by the runner referring to Twin Lakes. Most people take pride in their surroundings. Often in a neighborhood one or two neighbors don't care, and that doesn't help the neighborhood. I bet if they were fined, they would clean up their act.

Sinatra had good accompaniment too

THANK YOU for giving me the opportunity to speak out about Frank Sinatra. In my opinion -- I'm from the old school -- there never was another Frank Sinatra and there never will be. But I think that one of the things that we should speak up about is the outstanding accompaniment he received from Nelson Riddle and his orchestra all these years. Nelson was one to keep also.

Will she support children with severe problems?

I'VE NEVER called Speak Out but I was so angry after I read Christine Stephens letter in the Sunday paper that I had to call. I just wonder if Mrs. Stephens is going to support all those viable unborn children with severe abnormalities that she is so glad that will be born now. I wonder if she would like to move to Kansas and have her taxes be raised so she can help to support them.

Have a party here for animals

I JUST read in the Southeast Missourian about the Sikeston Humane Society putting on a very elegant party to support the Humane Society. The tickets are $30 for an individual and $60 for a couple. Why don't we do something like that up here in Cape Girardeau? We have numerous wealthy people in this town who love to do things like support parties. This is a wonderful cause, and the defenseless, helpless animals in this area need help and need the funding. I think it's ridiculous, all the money that is floating around in this town and so little of it goes to help the animals who are defenseless.

Why a wine glass as gift for seniors?

I HAVE a question for the Cape Girardeau School Board. Amid all the public concern for underage consumption of alcohol and statistics showing prom night to be one of the most deadly nights for teen-agers due to drinking and driving, why was the senior class memory gift given to each senior and his or her date a long stemmed, engraved wine glass? We parents do everything possible to teach our youth to stay away from alcohol while the school apparently thinks it's appropriate to encourage it. Why didn't you just give each couple a bottle of wine too to finish off the night of celebration and style? I didn't appreciate my daughter being exposed to this double standard and certainly believe a more appropriate memory gift item could have been selected for our senior class.

It's all a matter of being loved

IN ALL the everyday stress in this old world, I finally realized that happiness, contentment and peace in my heart have nothing to do with how much money I make or what worldly possessions I own or even whom I love. It's who loves me that really matters.

Might be time to try buses again

YOU KNOW, Cape may have tried a bus line 30 years ago only to find it didn't work. However, now that everything is moving out on the other side of the interstate, I think they may find things different. If you haven't noticed there's no residential area around Siemers Drive, which means everyone has to drive to get there. I think a small bus system would probably work, and also a bus that would go out to the outlying communities two or three times a day to bring those people in and back out.

Give barking dogs a tranquilizer

WHY DON'T the people who have dogs that bark constantly go to a veterinarian and get tranquilizers to calm the dogs down? Or perhaps the barking dog should be kept in the house all day. High strung, barking dogs are nerve-racking to hear, and they raise the blood pressure.

Pops Concert is appreciated

WE WANT to thank the music department at Central High School for an evening of great entertainment at the Pops Concert. We're very proud of the many talented students and teachers at Central. We appreciate all your hard work on that hot evening. Again, thank you.

Amy O'Brien shines in sports

KUDOS TO Scott City High School senior Amy O'Brien. She cleaned house in this year's sports banquet and received two sports awards from St. Francis as well. She's a wonderful representative of the girls sports talent we're so fortunate to have in this area. Congratulations, Amy.